James Gunn rehired to direct 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3'

by Associated Press

Friday, March 15th 2019

FILE - This June 25, 2018 file photo shows James Gunn at the premiere of "Ant-Man and the Wasp" in Los Angeles. Months after being fired over old tweets, James Gunn has been rehired as director of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Representatives for the Walt Disney Co. and for Gunn on Friday confirmed that Gunn has been reinstated as writer-director of the franchise he has guided from the start. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Months after being fired over old tweets, James Gunn has been rehired as director of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Representatives for the Walt Disney Co. and for Gunn on Friday confirmed that Gunn has been reinstated as writer-director of the franchise he has guided from the start. Gunn was fired last July over tweets from nearly a decade ago in which he joked about subjects like pedophilia and rape.

Gunn earlier apologized for the tweets, which he called "unfortunate efforts to be provocative." Disney Chairman Alan Horn at the time said Gunn's words were inconsistent with the studio's values.

But Gunn's dismal was passionately protested by many, including the "Guardians" cast. Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel and other stars of the franchise supported Gunn in an open letter.